Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese is one of the most talented players in a new wave joining the WNBA. The No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft will be teaming up with South Carolina star Kamila Cardoso to make one of the most dominant frontcourt duos in the league.
Angel Reese took full advantage of her popularity in college while at LSU by signing several NIL deals. Arguably the biggest one was a multi-year deal with Reebok, who she chose over Nike, who also pursued her.
Turning down Nike, arguably the biggest name in sportswear, certainly isn’t an easy decision. They have a global brand across all sports while Reebok hasn’t been as prominent in recent years. But, with Shaquille O’Neal as head of their basketball operations, that could quickly change.
Alas, Angel Reese thought long and hard about the decision and ultimately decided Reebok was the best fit for her when she signed the deal in October 2023. Recently, a video surfaced where she detailed why she picked Reebok over Nike.
“So many different shoe companies wanted to work with me,” Reese said in the video, per X user @dadeasskickz. “But I chose Reebok. What was it about Reebok? One, they didn’t have a women’s basketball player [as] a face. So I wanted to be that.
“Two, Shaq. You know my relationship with Shaq,” Reese added.
“And three, I like how they’re rebranding everything and they’re letting me be the creator behind everything I want to do. So I’m having my own shoe line coming out, merch with my name on it. … Y’all like what I wear, y’all like how I dress, y’all like my style. So I wanted to incorporate that into Reebok.” (H/T Heavy)
It is hard to argue against the reasons that the Chicago Sky star laid out. Achieving those goals with Nike would have been a challenge. Angel Reese is popular, but Caitlin Clark is in her own stratosphere when it comes to popularity and is also a Nike athlete.
The brand Angel Reese is looking to build would have been challenging with someone like Clark already in place. From that perspective, going to Reebok, where she’ll be the face of the women’s basketball, makes a lot of sense.
Working alongside the legendary Shaq certainly doesn’t hurt either. Their relationship should help put Reebok back on the map in the basketball world, with Reese as a big draw in the sport and style worlds.
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